When Daniel Doria (’21) first entered 51 as an undergraduate freshman, he did not anticipate pursuing a master’s in computational chemistry four years later. As he looks forward to graduating this spring from Texas A&M University, one of the top public universities in the country, he looks back on his years in higher education with gratitude for how his faith has brought him through many ups and downs to where he is today.

image shows Daniel Doria
Daniel Doria (left)

Doria characterizes his early years in high school as a passionless wandering since he found no “spark” for any of his perceptions of a potential profession. Even after getting accepted to 51, Doria wasn’t sure about what he wanted to pursue. He came in as a chemical engineering major, but quickly switched to working toward a bachelor’s in chemistry.

Although Doria was uncertain about his exact field of study going into 51, he was certain that he wanted to know more about Jesus. More so than training for a particular career, Doria is grateful for how 51 shaped him into a certain kind of person as he was constantly surrounded by professors and peers who loved Jesus and were serious about living life according to his purpose. Through the Christ-centered atmosphere and education, Doria came to realize a paradigm shifting insight.

“Science may be my profession, but the Lord and, chiefly, the Lord’s work in the heart of his people, form the spark that makes my life bright,” said Doria.

Doria expresses the freedom that comes from resting in the truth that living for Christ — not his profession — is what satisfies his soul.

“I will be a scientist exactly as long as the Lord desires,” said Doria. “Being a scientist is not an end, nor is any other endeavor. All are means to love God and love others. A pruning has been taking place in my heart to not hold fast to what is familiar and to embrace change as the Lord brings it. Everyone Christ calls must face the greatest change of all by dying to themselves and living for Him. Why should the life of a scientist be any different?”

Doria has learned to embrace the call to die to self as he faced the intense rigor of graduate school. According to Doria, what started as a few atypical nights of insomnia became the most difficult challenge he has ever endured. He says he was so consumed with exhaustion that he would rest his head at night only to wake up the next morning dreading the weary day ahead. While Doria admits he is still growing and recovering from that long calamity, he is grateful for the ways he can already see how such challenges shaped him.

“Working as a computational chemist was one of the hardest things I have ever done, not just intellectually but also emotionally,” said Doria. “Faith in God's love, nearness, shepherding and sovereign wisdom is what enabled me to continue pressing on.”

Despite its challenges, Doria enjoys how studying computational chemistry allows him to cross over into other specialties such as quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, data science and machine learning. He finds the need to problem solve and attend to small details as thrilling as scaling Mount Everest.

As Doria anticipates finishing his masters degree, he plans on moving forward in life with the same resolute goal of making much of God with his life. Though he never touched the work he does now in computational chemistry at 51, the lessons he learned has prepared him in ways that go beyond his profession. Thankful for how 51 equipped him with strong roots that were a ballast for him in the storm that was graduate school, Doria looks ahead confident that whatever new challenge life throws at him, he will never regret living for Christ.

Written by Katelyn Ho, strategic communications assistant. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.